Mirror magic can be a great way to see yourself better, to give yourself healing energy and love, for scrying, and can even be used to see yourself in a past life. Reflective surfaces have been used for millennia for magic of all purposes, including scrying and seeing the truth of a situation. They were thought by some to be portals, similar to Alice in Through the Looking Glass.

Mariana in front of the mirror, detail of the painting by J. W. Waterhouse, 1897, Public Domain.

What do you do when you look in the mirror? Do you check your teeth to see if you have food stuck in them? Do you obsess over tiny imperfections, such as blemishes that no one else sees but you? Whatever we do when we first look in the mirror is what’s known as automatic programming. Usually, it’s a fear-based action to protect us from looking bad to others. In this section, we’ll make a conscious change from fear-based actions to practice mirror magic, the essence of which is love-based.

Your reflection is a product of the light (or absence thereof); the warmth or color of the light; the angle you tilt your head; the quality of the mirror; and the emotion you hold. Mirrors reflect our energy back to us. If we can connect with that energy, we can raise it to create magic.

Give Yourself Energy

Gaze at your reflection and enter a trance state. Breathe in love for yourself. As you exhale, give your reflection love. Receive the love from your reflection with every inhale. Feel the energy grow between yourself and your reflection, and let the exchange intensify.

Self-Love

Self-love is some of the most powerful magics there is. This practice isn’t unruly or narcissistic, but rather, a warm supporting love that calms the mind.

Look in the mirror. Stop any automatic programming that may arise and stare softly at your face. Notice what you admire the most about yourself — maybe you have nice cheeks or beautiful eyes. Smile gently at yourself while thinking about radical self-acceptance and love. Look beyond the surface of your skin and bring out the brilliant beauty of your soul.

Give yourself a compliment. Tell your reflection something like, “I love you. I adore you. I care about you so much. You’re magnificent,” or any other powerful affirmations. Accept these statements with grace and ease. Tell yourself, “thank you,” and mean it. See if you can create an energy fountain with your love.

This kind of mirror magic can be used for healing. It’s a great way to remove energetic blocks, cultivate a love of our perfect imperfections, and to be present in the moment.

If this practice makes you feel uncomfortable, imagine that you’re saying these kind and true words to your higher self and know that they see you that way, most certainly. Or, think about it this way. If you wouldn’t let your friend talk about themselves negatively, you shouldn’t let yourself talk that way, either. This is the perfect magic to be your own friend and extend the same respect to yourself. With time, it’ll become easier to accept love from yourself. Having compassion for yourself is magical, indeed.

Dance

Put on some music and move. Practice the self-love and giving yourself energy above to make it really come alive. For an example of this kind of exchange, check out the video below.

Enchant Your Reflection (Glamor)

Mirror magic can be used to enchant our appearances. To enchant yourself, enter into a trance state. Tilt your head different ways until you see yourself in a new light. See yourself as beautiful or handsome. Turn up the charm — put stars into your eyes until you see sparkles in your reflection. Use your will to change your appearance slightly. See yourself as any number of things — younger, older, more desirable, etc. Like energetic cloaks, enchanting and glamor requires focus and can take energy to maintain. It’s best used for short periods of time, such as a performance or a photo shoot.

Draw Symbols and Sigils In Your Aura

One of my favorite things to do when I’m in a higher spiritual energetic state is to draw sigils in my aura. When we combine that with mirror magic, we have a powerful visualization and perfect placement of any magical symbols you want.

Stare at your reflection and bring on a trance state. Draw symbols or sigils with a finger dipped in essential oil or a lit incense stick. Go slowly, feeling the meaning of every curve and line of the symbol. With your second sight, see the sigils glowing with power. Hold the vision for as long as you can. To recharge them, send energy to them and envision them glowing again.

Past-Life Vision

Come close to the mirror. Stare into your eyes and enter a trance state. Let your eyes become a portal to another world. Allow the world dissolve around you into nothingness.

You may see yourself as eyes without a face or a body. Go deeper into the trance. See if you can see yourself with a different face, or with different clothing, or in a strange environment.

Photo by Ivan Ovgood, CC0

Scry

Scrying is one of the more difficult witch talents to master, but a very visual person will likely find their footing here. Enter a trance an look upon and into an object such as a black mirror, a pool of water, or a crystal ball. You may see figures and shapes, which can be interpreted as different things, and you may see a storyline play out. Keep at it. Practice, a good trance, and intuition are essential tools for this work.

Carry the Magic With You

Compacts and pocket mirrors are perfect ways to reset your energy in a relatively unnoticed way in public. Program your mirrors with one of the methods above. When you’re out and about, peek at the mirror and see yourself with the magic. All it takes is one look and you’ve reactivated the magic. If you use this mirror outside your home, cleanse it every once in a while.

Astrea is a polytheistic pagan witch, fire dancer, new ager, and writer of fiction. Check out her social media accounts to see all her blog posts and extra special witchy / artsy / personal content. You can read more about the author here.